Comexi’s ML2 machine aspires for modularity and flexibility throughout the trolley system, with its capabilities ranging from plastic and paper laminates or coatings to packaging windows. In this edition of ‘In Conversation With…’, we spoke to Anthony Plasse, area manager for Comexi, as well as Pyroll’s chief sales and marketing officer, Ari-Pekka Pietlä, and plant manager Pekka Vähävihu to learn more about their collaboration, its claims to sustainability, and the broader applications for the ML2.
Broadly speaking, how does Comexi’s ML2 machine work? What benefits do you think it brings to customers in general?
AP: Our ML2 is a Swiss knife, capable of solving all the challenges of laminating and coating. Indeed, the core of the machine is the trolley feature.
We created five different trolleys: solventless, gravure, flexo, semiflexo, and reverse doctor blade chamber. Given the specifics of each client, we can recommend the best trolleys. They are totally interchangeable and can be changed at any moment in function of the production’s needs.
This is a great solution for the clients as it allows them to be future proof. We are seeing a trend to move away from the traditional structure PET/PE, laminated in solventless. The solution is to go towards coating either on paper or on mono-material plastics.
What led Pyroll Packaging to choose the Comexi ML2?
PV: The starting point for this project was to improve production efficiency to be able to offer cost-competitive solutions to customers. It was also to increase flexibility and versatility to meet customer needs efficiently.
The new ML2 line replaces the old self-made lamination line. This old line was originally designed to meet customers’ unique needs for paper laminates, and particularly window laminates.
Few selected laminate-line manufacturers were contacted. It was Comexi´s willingness and ability to take the risk to design and tailor their standard ML2 line to meet our individual needs and of course the final offer.
What kinds of products would the packaging produced on an ML2 be applied to?
AP: This machine is so versatile in terms of materials. Broadly speaking it can work on all the applications of packaging: food, pet food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, etc. It can work on any plastic film, paper from 40 to 100gsm, and aluminium foil.
A-PP: Pyroll is developing new innovative fibre-based solutions, either combined with functional layers such as plastics to offer new characteristics for different materials.
Mainly, the new products are for the food packaging, but options to produce other categories are possible and under development. A good example of such a product is to combine different board materials with specific adhesives to offer unique properties such as light barriers or ovenability.
Generally speaking, our development work is in the beginning, so all the properties are not fully in use yet. Many new things can be developed and brought to market.
In your view, what does this machine offer from a sustainability perspective?
AP: From a sustainability perspective, this machine is capable of working with all kinds of adhesives (solventless, solvent-based, water-based) and also all the coatings. The same is true for the materials.
From a brand owner’s perspective, this is great because they can work with their existing structures and launch instantly after validating new sustainable structures.
A-PP: The new machine offers a wide variety of options to meet changing sustainability laws and targets. We are not tight to certain solutions, but we offer different solutions to meet different sides of the requirements; for example, minimized CO2 emissions or recyclability. We can offer a much better variety of options to our customers where they can choose the best solution for their requirements.
What would you say to a company that might be considering ML2 for its own packaging operations?
AP: This machine represents the solution to any packaging challenge you may have.
Traditionally the market was looking at two kinds of machines: solventless or multi-lamination machines (ML2). The multi-lamination machine was exclusive to only a few specific sectors: pharma and retort applications.
With the sustainability challenges our industry is facing, this dichotomy stands no more. The future is going more and more towards coating, paper applications and the lamination and/or coating of mono-materials.
Last but not least, in an age where skilled labour is scarce, this machine also comes fully equipped to make it autonomous. You can now control the adhesive/coating weight in line, without stopping the production.
The machine is available at our demo centre in Girona. Come and see for yourself, we are looking forward to welcoming you.
